


When Roads Meet

by TheBlueMistress



Category: CSI: Miami
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 13,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22440505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueMistress/pseuds/TheBlueMistress
Summary: Two different people. Two different lives. But what will they do when their once seperate paths meet?
Relationships: Eric Delko/Original Female Character(s)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope the people who read this story, will tell me what they think. It's my first one about CSI: Miami, so I could really do with some feedback…
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from CSI: Miami, unfortunately. And I don't think I ever will, too.

It was hot outside: the sun was shining, and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky above. It was a day full of promises, full of opportunities.

Eric Delco, however, had little time to think of it. He was on the job. And being on the job, for him, meant driving towards a scene of a crime. Today, he was summoned to examine the death of a young girl that had been found death within a distance of hundred meters of a hospital. What he new, was she was called Andrea, and that she was in her early twenties.

He reached the hospital, parked the car and grabbed his equipment and putted on gloves. His camera dangled from his neck while he walked toward Horatio and Calleigh, who were awaiting his arrival.

"Okay, let's get started: the deceased is called Andrea Newland. She was twenty-two years old and lived tree blocks away. You know what to do," Horatio said. They both nodded and set of to collect evidence.

Eric took pictures from Andrea's body while Calleigh scanned the environment for blood or any traces she might have not been murdered here but dumped by whoever murdered her.

"Eric, come here, will you?" Calleigh suddenly called. She was bending low over a path made out of grey stones some fife or six foot further.

"What does that look like to you?" she asked him.

"Blood," he replied, simply.

The examined the trace of blood, but couldn't make out whether it was leading to or away from the victim.

"We'll have to figure it out, but there is no hurry to do it here; the lab's a better place for such things, isn't it?" Eric said.

Calleigh nodded her agreement.

An hour later, the CSI team headed of to the lab, ready to examine every small detail that could possibly lead them towards the killer.  
  


* * *

Yenna fell down onto the lawn. She was exhausted: she had been playing "catch me if you can" and "hide and seek" with her godson for the past hour. It was very tiring to run around the house and garden in this kind of weather. She wondered where the kid seemed got the energy from; he didn't look tired in the least!

Jason, the six year old that was her sister's son, ran over and unexpectedly threw a balloon filed with water at her. Spluttering, she got up: were had he gotten such a balloon from? Than she saw her next door neighbor Peter, who was roaring with laughter.

"Thanks Pete, for showing him how to cool me down," she smiled warmly.

"It was my pleasure, really," he said, and winked.

While he was disappearing inside again, she grabbed Jason and spun him around above her head. Giggling so hard he forgot everything else, Jason had the best time of his life. After some moments, Yenna said: "Why don't we get inside, too, just like Peter? Than we can drink some soda…"

"Can I have an ice-cream too?"

"Of course you can! It's weekend, after all," Yenna replied.

She did spoiled the little boy, but there were some rules she never broke: he couldn't have any ice-creams or hamburgers during the week, except when it was his birthday. That might seem a bit odd, or strict, but it was ever so pleasant for Jason the get them in the weekends.

Sitting at the table, both eating a bowl of strawberry ice-cream, Yenna felt a bit sorry for Jason: her sister had been barely seventeen when she'd had him, and hadn't been a very good mother. She had more than once forgot to pick him up from primary school or left him in daycare without warning anyone, just because she had been going out with friends. Yenna had been the one to drive around town to pick him up on those occasions. And she had –uncountable times- drove around at tree A.M., in search of her sister, whom she then would fine on a bench in the park, sleeping of the alcohol and whatever else she took.

But there was nothing she could do: her parents ignored her completely when she tried to tell them she was doing this stuff, and she was an expert at concealing it for all those around her. Her boss hadn't got a clue, her friends were either down the same road or oblivious. And she had only found out because she had been the one her "friends" had called to the time she'd had a bad trip and had been sick and had even collapsed. But Inis had promised to stop taking drugs and quit her drinking habit. But, as time had shown, her sister had been lying. The only thing within her power, was taking care of Jason herself as much as possible, for else, she was sure, when things got out of hand, Inis would hurt him. Hurt him badly…


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna and Horatio finally meet up.

**2  
  
**

So far, no luck for the CSI team; the rain that had fallen the night before the murder has wiped away some of the footprints and made them pretty much all unclear. The rest had been trodden on by the people who had found Andrea's body: an elderly pair.

Eric and Calleigh had put their hopes on the blood trail they had found: when the killer was in the system, his or her identity would be known as soon as the bloodtests came back. In the mean while, Eric had been looking at the pictures he had taken, but the only thing he saw, were drops of blood. A lot of them. He also noticed there was blood on the left side of her shirt, but the other side wasn't stained. He pointed this out to Calleigh.

"That can mean more than one thing: either he was standing at the right side and used his left hand to kill her, which would mean he is left-handed. Or he stabbed her and she fell on her left side, causing the blood to run that way. Seeing as she was stabbed in her lower abdomen, on the left side, however, I think our killer is left-handed."

"Doesn't that help us a lot?" Eric asked.

"It does help us, but not enough: there's always a chance he uses both hands for the same thing. And then, we won't be able to track him down in the system that way, now, will we?"

"No, we won't," Eric said, "but there is just the slightest chance we might. And for me, that's enough."

"For me, it is as well. Let's go and run this trough, and we'll see what we can come up with," Calleigh said.

Hours passed. It steadily grew darker outside, and streetlights sprung into life. But Calleigh and Eric didn't gave up: there was to much that depended on their work, and the more they did now, the sooner this person could be tracked down and arrested.

When the clock chimed two, they finally gave in: they were tiered, nothing productive had come up so far, and they had an early shift tomorrow.

"What do you say? Do we call it a day?" Eric questioned.

"Yes, let's," was Calleigh's simple reply.  
  
  


* * *

  
Yenna looked at the sleeping form on the bed in the guestroom. Jason was breathing slowly and evenly.

She wondered whether he was dreaming. And if he was, if it were pleasant dreams. Dreams wherein he was playing, dreams wherein he was being looked after by someone who loved him.

She descended the stairs and sat down in on the sofa. Grabbing her mobile phone she thought of the one person in her entire family who could help her. Help her and her godson.

She dialed the number and hoped he would pick up. If he didn't, there was no telling where Jason may be in two months time.

"Hey, it's me! How are you?"

"I am fine, thank you. How are you?" a male voice said. Horatio's voice!

"I'm fine, but I'm concerned about Jason: Inis is still drinking and taking drugs, and I think it won't hold much longer until she runs out of cash; she hasn't got a job. And when she does, I'm sure she's going to hurt Jason!" Yenna panicked. Tears welled up in her eyes; tears that had been hidden for quit some time, tears for the ones she loved and who were in trouble. The two of them.

"Hush now! Tell me all about it. And don't worry: if she lays hands on him, I will not let her get away with that unpunished, you know that, don't you?" Horatio said.

"I know, Horatio, but it's so hard! I always have to let him go back there, knowing it might be the last time we meet! She is getting more aggressive by the day!"

"Did she hurt you? In any way?"

Yenna hesitated.

"She has," she said, so softly Horatio had almost missed it. "I tried –yet again- to make her see the error of her ways, and she hit me, right in the face."

"She what? I will not tolerate that woman hitting my niece!"

"Horatio, please, calm down! It's not as bad as it looks: it wasn't Jason!" Yenna said.

"No, it wasn't! But next time, it might be!"

"I know!" she answered, "but he's safe now. He's here."

"All right. I will come and see you tomorrow. And I wanted to speak to you anyway…"

"What about?" Yenna asked.

"You will see that when I get there."

"Okay, see you tomorrow.'

"See you tomorrow."

Yenna went upstairs, changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. The last thing on her mind, was the fact she was thrilled by the fact Horatio would be here tomorrow: she had not seen him in almost a year, because she had only recently moved back here from Scotland, where she had been a police officer.

* * *

"Horatio, can you have a look at this, pleas?" Eric asked.

Horatio took the papers from him. He scanned them trough, than said: "What do I have to see?"

"That the killer is someone that has not been arrested before."Eric replied.

"Okay, that mean we're going to have to find more clues. Have you found anything yet?"

"No, we haven't: the bloodtest was our only hope, because we haven't got any specific details other than the fact he is either left-handed or uses both hands for the same purpose when using an object." Eric said.

"Not much indeed… But that will soon change, I can tell you that…" Horatio said.

"And why is that?" Eric asked, surprised.

"Because I," Horatio said, putting on his sunglasses, "am going to pay a visit to relative of mine."

And he stepped out of his office, opened the doors, go into his car and drove of, leaving a stunned Eric standing there, wondering why on earth one of Horatio's relatives might help them solve this case.

* * *

Yenna run outside; as fast as her feet could carry her, she made a straight line for the end of the driveway, where a car had just stopped.

When Horatio came out, she hugged him tightly. She was panting slightly, and her feet were sore: she hadn't been wearing any shoes.

"You made it!" she whispered.

"I did. And I won't be leaving any time soon. Not before I know you're okay, and everything's fine with Jason."

"He's fine. I told you he was staying here, didn't I?"

Horatio told her she had, and he asked her how she was fairing, what had been going on, why she had moved back.

She told him she was coping, though it was hard, and that she had moved back because she had found out Inis was still doing drugs. She'd had to sell her house in Scotland, because she didn't have enough money to by a place here else, and she had had some trouble with the bank.

"What are you going to do about the fact she might hurt Jason next time?" Horatio asked, when Yenna explained the exact way things had gone the day Inis had hit her in the face.

"Well, I thought of something, but the law wouldn't approve of that…"

It was then their chat was disturbed: Jason entered the room, clutching something to his chest. A questioning look lay in his eyes at the sight of Horatio sitting. After Yenna had explained who Horatio was and what he was doing there, he looked reassured. Then, turning to Yenna, he handed her a drawing: there was a house on the paper, and tree people were standing in front of it.

"Who are these people, darling?" Yenna asked, a bit worried: he and his mother lived alone, and she was living alone as well. Who's house was it, then?

"That's you," Jason said, pointing to a figure with long, brown hair, "and that's me," he explained, putting his finger on the figure in the middle, "and that is my daddy," was the explanation of the third and last figure.

The only problem was: the child had never know his father, because Inis had broken up with him the moment she had found out she was pregnant. Then where did this father figure suddenly come from?

Yenna thought it was possible this would always remain a mystery…

When Jason had left to make another drawing and have something to eat, Horatio said: "So, I told you I had a question, right?"

"Yes, you did. But what was it you needed to ask me so badly you even came all the way down here and left work for that?" Yenna asked.

"I wanted to ask you whether you would like to come and work for me, to work for the Miami-Dade Police Department."

"Of course I want to! It would be wonderful!"

"Than I will see you tonight, at seven P.M., and one of my team members will be there, too." Horatio said.

"I will be there," Yenne said.

While she watched the car wherein Horatio sat vanish from view, she hoped she had made the right decision: this was a though job she had signed up for! But she was pretty confident she would be capable of doing it properly. After all, she had worked with the police for a year, in total, here and in Scotland. However, she didn't doubt some things would have changed. And she was also certain that no-one would like the fact she was the boss's niece… _It will smell like family politics for them_ , she thought. But nothing in this world was one hundred percent certain. She would just have to wait and see, wouldn't she?


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna meets Eric and gets a tour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own CSI: Miami. Wish I did, though…

**3**

Eric was waiting for Yenna to arrive. Horatio had asked him to show her around the place and explain her something about the case they were working on, because she was going to work in close proximity to both Calleigh and him. Horatio had also explained that Yenna was his niece, but had said nothing about the situation she was in with her sister at the moment. He had told himself she would have to tell the people she wanted to know, and when she wanted them to know. It was not for him to decide who would be informed.

Soon enough Yenna pulled up and parked her car. But what was more: she was carrying a child in her arms when she walked towards him! Eric didn't know what to think, let alone what to say. things, however, were sorted quickly when Horatio exited the building and walked over to them.

"There you are! Now, let me introduce you two. Yenna, this," he said, gesturing towards Eric, "is Erik Delko, one of my team members. I've told him you are my niece, nothing more or less. Whatever else you wish to tell hem, is up to you," he whispered into her ear before continuing.

"And Eric, this is my niece Yenna. I guess you know what to do?"

Eric nodded silently.

"Very well then. Yenna, hand Jason over to me, I'll take him home and put him to bed. He will be back with you tomorrow morning. When you would happen to have any question while or after Eric is giving you the grand tour, just ask him, okay?"

"Sure! I'll see you tomorrow then, nine sharp, lieutenant!"

Smiling, Horatio made his way over to the Hummer, put the small boy on the back seat and got in himself. Five minutes later, he was gone.

"well, I guess we'd better get started then." Eric said brightly, opening the door that led inside the Miami-Dade Police Department.

He showed her around the DNA-lab first, because that was where she would be working. After that, they went to trace, and he even showed her Calleigh's Ballistics lab. Yenna already liked the place: somehow she could sense that the people who worked here were a good team, were close, good friends. She felt at ease within this environment, and she was pretty certain she would soon feel at home here as well. She only hoped the others wouldn't have any problems with her connections to Horatio.

"Eric," she hesitantly asked, "I know this might be a stupid question, but… Won't anyone have any problems with me being Horatio's niece?"

"First of all: stupid questions don't exist. You can only give stupid answers. And second: H briefed us this morning, and I don't think they will. We trust H, he knows what he does when he does it. When he gets you in here, there must be a good reason for that. Nobody will question you, or judge you. They will get to know you before they form an opinion. But I guess I get to ask you a question now, too. At least if that's okay with you…"

"Absolutely! I owe you that much, after all you've done for me!"

"H said you would be helping us with this investigation. And I'm guessing that doesn't only mean you will be analyzing DNA samples for us. Am I right?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you are. I will be actively involved in the investigation, but only e few days a month. A few of the spare days I would normally get as a CSI, will be dedicated to helping you guys to find the killer you're after."

"That's wonderful! I mean, we could really do with some help, this case proves to be more tricky then we first thought."

"I hope I will be able to help! I will do everything I can."

"I am sure you will. Being the niece of Horatio Caine, I wouldn't have expected anything else from you." Eric said, grinning.

Yenna flashed him a smile as well. She felt she had made a friend already. She was really happy, it made her feel more confident, both in herself and her decision.

'Thanks for everything! I'm glad you were here to give me the tour. But I should be off now. I'm heading home, getting some sleep. I'll have to wake up early tomorrow morning!'

Together they walked towards the parking lot. Whilst doing so, they continued chatting.

"H is bringing the boy… I'm sorry, what's his name? I didn't quit get it…" Eric said, feeling stupid for forgetting (what he believed to be) her son's name.

"Jason. His name is Jason."

"Right… Horatio is bringing your boy Jason home by nine, that isn't at all early!"

"Oh, he's not my son, Eric. I'll tell you more when the time's right. But all you need to know for now, is that he is not my son."

"Okay… Now, H will be bringing Jason home by nine. So you won't have to get up that early."

"Believe me, I will… Jason hasn't been around other people. I've been living in Scotland, and the only people he has seen are my sister, my mother and my father. He hasn't seen H yet, apart from the couple of times H came around and he happened to be there. So he'll wake up early, scream his longs out and refuse to speak to anyone but me. In worst case scenario. Else he won't stop crying silently and ask for me every two minutes…"

"Then I bid you good night, and see you on Monday!"

"Good night to you, too, Eric Delko! Good night to you, too…"


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna starts work at Miami Dade PD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope everyone who reads this story enjoys it. pleas read and review, it always makes me go warm and fussy on the inside! Reviews make my day!
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not the owner of CSI: Miami. (Although I sometimes wish I was…)

**4**   
  


Yenna knocked before she opened the door. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to find Calleigh there, bend over the pictures of their crime scene, instead of Eric.

"Oh, Hi, Calleigh! I was looking for Eric. I thought I might find him here."

"He left about ten minutes ago. Alexx wanted to talk to him about the autopsy results: she said she'd found something interesting whilst doing the Y-incision."

"Well, I'll hand this over to you then! The DNA results from the blood found at the crime scene. I was amazed when I finished processing the blood, actually: when I ran them through to see to whom the blood belonged, the first two samples were consistent with your victim. The last sample, however, is from an as of yet unknown source. The man has never been arrested before.'

"It is a beginning…" Calleigh said. "Perhaps questioning the boyfriend later this afternoon will reveal something more.'"

Turning her attention back to the picture in front of her, Calleigh sighed.

"Yenna, could you come here for a second? I need your help with this…"

"Of course! What can I do?" Yenna asked, approaching the table.

"You say the last sample of blood belonged to an unknown source, right?" Yenna nodded. "But that sample was taken here." Calleigh pointed towards the blood nearest the tree in the picture.

"And what do you mean by that?" Yenna asked. She wasn't exactly sure where this was going, and she didn't want to screw things up. So she waited patiently for Calleigh to fill her in.

"It's impossible! The most logical place where blood of the perpetrator would be found, was on or near the body! How can that blood be so far away from her? If he hurt himself whilst killing her, there is no reason for the blood to be that far away. It would be in close proximity to her, and his blood would have been found on her as well. And his blood is the end of the trail of blood leading from the tree to our victim, which is about two hundredth meters!" Calleigh finished.

Yenna thought about it for a second. All kinds of thing went through her mind. And suddenly she spoke.

"Can you show me pictures of that blood trail?" She asked Calleigh.

"Sure I can! But why?" Calleigh asked, surprised.

Yenna did not speak, but as soon as Calleigh had handed her the pictures, she bent low over the table. When Yenna looked up a few minutes later, she was certain that she had just solved Calleigh's problem.

"Calleigh, when you look at the pictures of the blood trail, do you notice anything strange about the drops?"

Calleigh was a bit taken aback by that question. She cocked an eyebrow, and stared at the pictures spread out in front of her.

"Look closely, around the edges. Can you see the bulbs there?"

"Yes, I can. But what about them?"

"Which way are they pointing?" prompted Yenna.

"They are pointing, as far as I can see, away from the three… But I'm still not getting it, if I'm being honest. Care to explain?"

"She must have lost the blood whilst getting to the place we found her in, right? And by looking at the bulbs on the sides of the blood drops, we can say in which direction she was going while she was loosing the blood. In this case, away from our three."

"So that means that she was killed in front of our three. And that the perpetrator hurt himself there. Before he moved her dead body away from the three, he took a handkerchief or something, and stopped the bleeding! That leaves us nowhere, though. We haven't found a handkerchief on the scene," Calleigh said.

"But we can now divide the crime scene in two parts: the first one hundredth meters are the first half of it, and the second part is the part where we found her. In the first part, we are most likely to find evidence that will lead us towards the perpetrator. It narrows down the scene a little, and maybe it will help us to find out who did this sooner…"

"Yenna, you are amazing! I would never have thought about that myself! I'm going to run down to the morgue and find Eric, and we'll be searching the first one hundredth meters later today!"

Calleigh was happy they'd found something, even if it might not be exactly what they needed. Anything to help them in their search, however little, was greatly apreciated.

"I'm glad I could help! I just hope you guys will find something that will lead us to that killer! Because I don't like the idea he is still out there…" Yenna finished in a whisper.

"Don't worry, Yenna! The whole team's on the case! We _will_ find him, Yenna! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But in time, he'll be where he belongs: behind bars."

"Thanks, Calleigh! You made me feel a lot better! I guess it all got to me somewhat: she was so young, her whole life was still ahead of her!"

"That is what affects me the most, too. But you have to know when to move passed it, because you can't do this job when you break down; it doesn't help the victims either," Calleigh spoke, touching Yenna's arm lightly.

"Come on, let's get some coffee. I think we both deserved it!"

Calleigh agreed, and in companionable silence both women walked towards the break room. What awaited Yenna there, was a big surprise. But is was a good one: Horatio was sitting at the table, with Jason on his lab.

"Hello, munchkin! How are you?" Yenna said, and bend down to ruffle his hair and peck Horatio on the cheek.

"I'm fine, really! I just wanted to see you… I missed you a lot today, and I asked uncle Horatio to drive me here…"

"Ow, munchkin… come here…"

Yenna hugged the boy tightly. Jason buried his face in her hair, and clung to her desperately. From behind her, Horatio softly said:

"I was worried about him, Yenna, especially since he never acted like this before when you left him with me: he was just staring into nothingness, didn't speak, eat or drink. The only thing he said was he wanted to see you. So I picked him up and drove here. I hope that's alright with you."

"It sure is, Horatio. Could you do me a favor and get the rest of the team in here as well? I think I owe Calleigh some explanation, but since I believe Jason will be needing me in the future as well, I believe the rest of the team deserves the explanation, too."

"Very well. I'll go and get them, " he said, and left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna tells everyone the emotional story of how she came to take care of Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: here is yet another chapter! I promise that my story will keep on going, and that you will all get to see the relationship between Eric and Yenna deepening. So hang in there, the best is yet to come!
> 
> Disclaimer: CSI: Miami does not belong to me. Unfortunately…

**5**

Eric, Calleigh, Ryan, Nathalia, Alexx and Horatio were all sitting at the table in the break room by this time. They were waiting patiently for Yenna to start speaking, wondering what the small boy on Horatio's lap could possibly have to do with this meeting.

Yenna looked at all of them, feeling a little nervous and anxious about what their reactions might be when she told them her story. But it was to late to back away from in now, she reminded herself, and she would've had to tell them one point or another. So she took a deep breath and started talking.

"Everyone, I want you to meet Jason," she said as she gestured towards Jason, who quickly grabbed Horatio's hand.

Horatio whispered something in Jason's ear, and although Yenna couldn't make out what it was, his words seemed to calm Jason down.

"Eric,' she said, looking at him, "the first day we met, I told you he wasn't my son, and that that was all you needed to know then. Right?"

"Yeah, you did say so… and is time now right to give more information?"

"I do believe so. Jason is my sister's son. Since he was little he spend a lot of time with me. Especially when my sister, Inis, started doing drugs."

Alexx looked horrified, Calleigh just stared at her, and Horatio remained impassive. Eric, however, had a look of dawning comprehension on his face.

"You are looking after him, aren't you? But still, I can't work out whether that is because she's in rehab, or for some other reason…" Eric told her.

"I'll come to that soon enough. It's part of the story, you see…"

she sighed, and continued.

"I took care of him whenever I could, beside my job as a police officer. And I tried to get my sister to go into rehab, to try and become clean, for her son's sake. But she fell deeper and deeper, and I couldn't get through to her anymore. My parents refused to see how bad things were going. Eventually, I moved to Scotland. I was able to get a job there, and I didn't hesitate: I needed to get away from it all, needed to breath again and not worry.

But that was not how it went. At least, not towards the end of my stay there. Else I wouldn't have been here. The first eight months were good: I loved my job, made new friends and had lots of fun with them. But then the first call came: Inis had been throwing stuff through her house, she had even cut herself whilst doing so, and she had been on a high dose of heroine. I was glad nothing bad had happened to Jason, so I told my mother that. And before she hung up the phone, I told her to keep an eye on her and Jason, so he wouldn't get hurt."

Alexx glanced at Jason, and wondered how anyone could ever hurt him. Jason was still holding on to Horatio's hand, although Alexx could tell he was finding it increasingly hard to keep his eyes open.

"My fear came true, and she did hit him once. However weird it might be, though, it never happened again after that. For some reason, she seemed to have learned her lesson. Still, I came home because my mother feared that Inis would lose it again when she had drugs in her system, and she would hurt Jason. I shared that fear, and approximately a year after I'd left, I came back here. And since then I've been looking after Jason, after fighting for temporary custody, which I got. Next month, however, I will be in court, fighting for custody again, for good this time."

Alexx and Eric smiled. They felt that Yenna would do the best she could, and that she would be a wonderful mum for Jason.

"Yenna, I really hope you get custody. Knowing what I know about your sister, I believe Jason will be a lot better of with you. And I think I can speak for the whole team when I say this: we will always be there to help you out when things get rough." Eric spoke.

"Thanks you guys! It means a lot to me, because it hasn't always been that easy, and I'm afraid the future will prove to be hard from time to time, especially before I have gotten custody. Inis could make it difficult for both me and Jason!"

'Yenna, I will be there every step of the way; I won't let her take him away from you if I can prevent it. And we will fight until the very end! A Caine never quits, right?' Horatio asked her.

"Indeed, they don't. Anyway: have all your questions been answered? Your free to ask anything…"

"I have one question, actually: who is looking after Jason when you're working?" Alexx asked. Calleigh nodded her head, indicating she'd been willing to ask that seem question as well.

"Horatio looks after him when it's his day of, and my mother and father are looking after him the other days."

"Surely your parents can't keep doing that? Not to be rude or anything, but they aren't the youngest of people, are they?"

"No, Alexx, they aren't," Yenna answered, smiling despite herself. "But I haven't got a choice: Jason isn't used to being around other people, so I can't simply hire a sitter."

"You could ask us!" Calleigh said. "Invite us around once in a while, so he can get used to us. Then you can show him he can thrust us! And eventually, we would be able to baby sit him."

"I suppose I could try that. It would make my life a lot easier! But I can't tell whether it will work…" Yenna said.

"You know what?" Alexx spoke this time. "I will invite everyone around on Friday! Seven at my place! That way, he gets to know us a little better. And we'll take it one step at a time, baby, we will."

"Thank you, Alexx… That would be wonderful!"

Yenna looked at Jason, who was now sound asleep on Horatio's lap. He was somewhere far away, in a land of dreams that was entirely his.

"I'm so glad everyone wants to help! It means a lot to me, more then I can ever explain… I… I don't know what to say… thanks…"

"No need to thank us, Yenna. You're a friend, and friends help one another. No questions asked, not asking anything in return," Alexx said, enveloping her in a bear hug.

When Yenna left the Miami Dade Police Department that evening, holding Jason in her arms, she realized she was lucky to have met these people: they were real friends, who'd never let her down.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna takes the stand for the first time as she starts her journey to becoming Jason's sole guardian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: After all this time, I still don't own CSI: Miami…

**6**

Yenna was nervous: it was her turn to take the stand now, for the first time. The first time, because it was definitely not going to be the last before this case was finally over…

"Do you swear to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth." Yenna answered.

After the last syllable had died away, Inis's lawyer came forward, ready to start asking questions.

"First of all, I would like to ask you what your past and present relationship with your sister is, miss Caine?" he asked her.

"My relationship with my sister was a good one: we could always count on one another, we never had any secrets and nothing could get in between us. Or that is what we believed, until about two and a half years ago.

Inis started doing drugs, and my warning that they would ruin her life fell on deaf ears. Of course I wasn't just going to give up or let her down, so I started looking after Jason –Inis's son- more frequently. Slowly, however, we drifted farther away from each other, due to the drugs, and I couldn't stand and watch her throw away her life. So when I got the chance to work and live in Scotland, I took it; I needed some time away from it all, needed to breath again after six months of driving halfway across the city four times a week to pick her up from some dark alley."

"And what made you come back, miss Caine, after all that time you spend there?" the lawyer asked.

"My mother called me one day: Inis had been throwing stuff around in her apartment, and had even injured herself doing so. She had high levels of heroin in her blood, they later told my parents in hospital. My mother was afraid that Inis would hurt Jason when this happened again. She didn't know what to do anymore, so she phoned me. I told her I was coming back home. So I sold my house in Scotland, got on the first plane here, and arrived here approximately one year after I'd left."

"And why are you filing for custody now, miss Caine?"

"During my first week back in the country, she hit Jason on his cheek, rather hardly. That was the drop for me, and I decided that I couldn't just leave things be. I contacted my nephew Horatio Caine, and a little while after that, I reached a conclusion about what I would do about this.

Another two months later I filed for temporary custody of Jason, because I, too, feared that Inis would cross the line sooner or later. And that she would hurt her boy badly when it happened." Yenna finished.

"So you are actually his primary caretaker for the time being, is that correct?"

"Yes sire, that is correct."

"How old is Jason now, miss Caine?"

"He is six years old now, sir."

"No further questions, your Honor."

It was now Inis's turn to take the stand, and Yenna could only pray that things would not take a turn for the worst now. Her fear, however, was unnecessary: Inis answered the questions that Yenna's lawyer, Heather Blackburn, asked her honestly.

Inis was a bit surprised by that: she had been expecting her sister to lie like hell to get her son back! At the other hand, when she was honest, there was a better chance of getting Jason back, because the judge could think that she was doing the best she could to be a good mother, and that she deserved another chance.

Whilst listening to the questions that Heather was shooting at Inis (Why did you not give up drugs when your sister asked you to? Did it never occur to you that your son needed you? Haven't you ever wondered why Yenna is more of a mother to Jason now then you ever were?) Yenna could only hope and pray that Inis would not get Jason back. However much she loved her sister, despite everything she'd done, she wasn't going to let Jason go with her. She would fight to whatever end to make sure that Jason got the love and care, the stable life he needed.

* * *

That evening, Yenna picked up her phone and dialed Eric's number. She wanted to talk to him, she needed him to reassure her that everything was going to be okay in the end. She had been an emotional wrack all evening, because she was doubting so many things.

For example: was she doing the right thing, not letting Inis have her own son back? Or should she give her another chance? She was his mum, after all… And what about her? Was she going to do a good job, or was she going to screw up the whole thing?

"Eric Delko."

"Hi, Eric! It's me, Yenna. Can we talk?"

"Sure we can! What about? What's bothering you?" Eric asked her.

"I'd rather not discuss all of it over the phone, if that's alright with you…" Yenna hesitantly said. "Is there somewhere we could meet?"

"You could come by my place, or I can come to yours, if you want to." Eric assured her.

"I'm coming to you. Just give me half an hour to get there; I have to change into proper cloths first."

"Well, it's your choice… But I personally don't feel like getting out of my PJ's… Mind if I keep those on?"

Yenna was taken aback somewhat by that question, but she could hear him sniggering on the other side of the phone.

"You get to keep them on, but on one condition." She teased.

"And that is?" he asked her, wondering what she was up to.

"I can come to you in my pyjamas as well!"

"Sure, you've got yourself a deal! I see you in half an hour then!"

"Okay, see you then!" Yenna said, and hung up. She was in a better mood already, and she was certain that her evening had just begun taking its turn for the best.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric and Yenna wake up in bed together. What exactly happened? And how will they react?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed our little chapter in court! And now, we are paying Yenna and Eric a little visit! And as you can tell, something is in the air! Enjoy! And don't forget to review please! Reviews are this girl's best friend!
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not the owner of CSI: Miami.

**7**

The sun was shining brightly into the room. Eric mentally cursed himself for not closing the curtains before going to bed last night. Sighing, he prepared to get out of bed and take a shower.

But as soon as he opened his eyes, he sat bold upright: memories of the previous night came back to him, and he suddenly became very aware of someone lying in bed beside him. Hardly daring to breath, he looked to his left, were Yenna was sleeping, nestled warmly against him.

He quickly stood up and walked in the direction of the shower, deciding that some cool water would wake him up properly and help him figure out what to do next. He, however, never made it to the shower.

"You don't have to sneak into the shower just to make me believe you didn't sleep in the same bed as I, you know." Came the drowsy reply from Yenna.

"I'm sorry, Yenna… I never meant to fall asleep beside you, I just…"

"You don't have to apologize, nor explain yourself, Eric. Just come here for a second, then we can talk about it."

Yenna had noticed the horrified look on his face, so she didn't need words to understand that he had not done this on purpose.

"Look,' she said, slowly and calmly, 'I know you didn't plan for this to happen. It just did. But nothing happened. If I remember last night's events correctly –and correct me if I don't- I was the one requesting you to stay with me until I'd fallen asleep."

Eric's thoughts wandered back to that precise moment in time when she had asked him not to leave her side before she had fallen asleep.

' _Eric, I… I don't want you to leave… Please… Could you stay with me until I've fallen asleep… I'_

_Eric had put his finger against her lips, effectively cutting of the words she was going to say next._

' _Of course I will! I'll be right here, whenever you need me. Now hush, and close your eyes. You need your sleep.'_

_Yenna slowly closed her eyes, and soon enough she had drifted of. Eric could not help but marvel at how beautiful and peaceful she looked. He, too, was overcome by sleep, and closed his eyes, forgetting everything about tomorrow, only her image imprinted in his mind._

Eric could do nothing but nod his agreement.

"Now, don't fret about it: we are both adults, we behaved ourselves, and nothing happened."

"I'm glad you are taking it so easily! I thought you might, euh, kind of freak out when you found out I'd fallen asleep next to you…" he confessed.

"Like I said: don't worry. I don't, either, so… O, coming to think of it: I'm actually a bit hungry… Is there any chance of breakfast, or do I have to grab something on my way to work?"

"Well, I was going to make some toasts later on, you can have some if you want to. And I could make you some coffee if you like." Eric suggested.

"That would be great! But, euh, were do I go while you are taking a shower? Because I don't think I should stay here, in bed, you know…"

"That quite okay: you can stay in bed, or you can go downstairs and get comfortable on the sofa, watch television if you want to."

'I just got a splendid idea: why don't I get fresh orange just ready, and then you make those toasts? Does that sound great or what?"

"It sure does! Now, see you in fifteen minutes then, sharp!" Eric smiled, before walking into the bathroom.

* * *

"You are an excellent cook, dear! I take it you have done this before?" Yenna asked Eric, when they had finished breakfast.

"Well, my mum taught me how to make them when I was ten. She was convinced that every male part of our family had to be able to bake his girlfriend toasts."

"Their girlfriends…" Yenna repeated, weighing the possibilities this situation held for her now.

"Yeah… She thought that every girl would fall for one of us when they knew we could make toast. Silly, but hey, she was my mum, you know."

"I personally like a man who knows how to prepare a decent breakfast for me, and who doesn't burn anything in the process. And I adore it when men look after their girls, and take the time to listen to them. My man would be perfect when he was not afraid to say what was on his mind, and show his feeling. And he of course has to love children." She admitted to him.

Could this really be happening? Eric asked himself. Was this Yenna hinting she saw something more then a friend in him? He couldn't believe this, this couldn't be happening. Although he was dying to know whether or not she wanted to be his girl, he opted for playing safe. He would hint, too.

"I like girls who are good with children, 'cause I want lots of them, and she has to love chasing them around, and playing hide and seek, and not get mad when they're all dirty and everything." He revealed. "My girl would have to be a great listener, and has to love sitting on the beach, not saying anything but just watch the sunset. Let's say she needs to know when to enjoy life."

Yenna listened. She recognized so much of herself in his words. And on more then one occasion during the past month, she had shown her willingness to just enjoy life and chase Jason around. Eric had been part of those memories she had collected. She was wondering if… no, she told herself, you are jus being silly!

But Eric was now very close to her, his hand hovering millimeters above hers, his face coming closer to hers with every second that passed. She started moving towards him, not thinking about the consequences, just living the moment.

And then her cell phone rang. Breaking eye contact and creating renewed distance between them, she answered the call.

"Caine."

"We have found new evidence in our case. Could you come in as soon as possible, please? Then we can fill you in," Calleigh spoke.

"Yes, I can. Give me twenty minutes to get there, okay? See you then."

She ended the call. Looking up at Eric, she told him he would be receiving a call as well, and he'd better get ready for work.

Yenna stood up, and told him she would be back in two minutes: she needed to get her belonging (in other words her pyjamas).

Once she had reached the bathroom upstairs, she splashed cold water in her face to cool in down. She was all hot and flustered by what had happened downstairs… she dried her face and met Eric in the kitchen, ready to drive to work together.

She was happy he would be driving her to work: she would have to drive home with him tonight to get her car. And maybe that was her chance to finally talk to him.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What would the evidence be that Calleigh found out about? And will Yenna and Eric finally have that much needed conversation? All these questions will be answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I wished I could say I was the owner of CSI: Miami. Still can't, though…

**8**

"What have you got, Calleigh?" Yenna did not waste any time; as soon as she walked into the room, the words left her mouth.

"We found the fabric our killer used to wipe away the blood from his injury. It had been hidden about ten feet away, underneath some bushes and leafs." Calleigh told her and the rest of the team, who were gathered around the table on which the evidence and pictures were displayed.

"That's great! Now the only thing we have to do, is run the blood through AFIS, so we can see to whom it belongs!"

"Indeed, Yenna, indeed. And that is your job." Came Horatio's voice from somewhere near the door.

"Alright! Hand me over the fabric then, Calleigh, and I'll get right to it! In fifteen minutes I should be able to give our perpetrator a name, if he's in the system." Yenna happily smiled.

"Very well. I'll send Eric down to hear what you've found out in fifteen minutes then. Good job, everyone! You can all be proud of yourselves!" Horatio praised his team.

"We couldn't have done this without you, H., and you know that! You are the one who has build this team from the start, you shouldn't just give _us_ all the credit, but look at your own accomplishments as well!" Ryan said.

The other team members agreed with him: Horatio had been a great leader during all the years they had worked together, keeping the team together, and he had saved them from some very tight spots.

Yenna left five minutes after that, ready to process Calleigh's latest peace of evidence that would hopefully lead them to their killer: a piece of green fabric, that looked like it had once been a scarf.

"Yenna, are you in here?" Eric asked, opening the door leading to Yenna's working area.

"Yes, Eric! I'm in the back! Come and check this out!" She replied, exitment evident in her voice.

Eric made his way towards her, careful not to bump into any of the tables and knock over the vials and flasks filled with various liquids that were standing atop of them.

"Show me what you've got!"

Turning the computer screen towards him, Yenna couldn't help but smile; their case had just been solved, and with a bit of luck, their killer would be in jail in a couple of hours at the most.

"Annita Granger, thirty years old, living four blocks from here. She's our killer. No doubt about it: I found not only her blood on that scarf, but our victim's blood as well."

"Let's tell the others. I bet Horatio won't hesitate to send Frank out there to arrest her." He smiled.

It was six in the evening. Their shift had ended half an hour ago, and most people had already left.

Yenna stepped into the locker room. She wanted to grab her purse and drive home, hug Jason and forget about this entire day.

Because although they had managed to arrest Annita, she still couldn't shake the feeling of disgust that had been bugging her ever since Annita had confessed killing Andrea; she had told the interrogating officer she had killed Andrea because she had loved her, and did not want her to throw away her life by being involved with anyone else but her.

Ever since those words had left Annita's mouth, Yenna had been wondering how she could have ever committed such a crime: who could ever kill the one they loved? What could drive one to such lengths?

"Yenna? Hello?"

Yenna was jerked awake by those words, spoken by Calleigh. She suddenly realized she had been walking towards the locker room on automatic pilot, and she hadn't noticed she had walked inside yet.

"I'm sorry… What did you say?" Yenna apologized.

"I asked you whether you wanted to come out tonight, too. The entire team is coming, it would be nice if you joined us."

"Sure! Where and when do we meet?" Yenna asked, glad that she would have something to do to get her mind off of things.

"Joe's, at the beach: they serve amazing alcohol free cocktails! We are planning on being there around eight, is that okay with you?"

"It is! I'll be seeing you guys then!" Yenna said, hoping that her mother wouldn't mind looking after Jason tonight, on such short notice.

When she turned away from Calleigh to grab her purse, though, she noticed the strange look in Eric's eyes: he was worried because she had zoned out before. Passing by him on her way towards the door, she whispered:

"Don't worry about me so much: I'll be fine. I promise. Now, take me home, please, Eric. I just want to get ready to enjoy the evening ahead of us."

After that, they walked through the door together, Yenna planning on getting changed into something more comfortable and casual, and maybe even have a shower before she was supposed to meet everyone at Joe's.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Horatio decides to meddle a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: hear, hear! Yet another chapter had been added to this story! We are moving along very well, everyone! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please let me know what you think about it! Constructive criticism is definitely welcome!
> 
> Disclaimer: I would have more money on the bank if I owned CSI: Miami… So that means I don't!

9

Yenna was staring at her co-workers: they were all having a great time, laughing and joking, celebrating the fact they had managed to put their criminal behind bars. To bring closure to a family who had lost their child. Celebrating life rather then lingering on the death of Andrea.

But she was unable to be part of this. She could still not move passed this case, the question why on earth someone would do something like that, which was going through her mind constantly.

She sighed; she couldn't keep sitting here, watching this display of happiness when she did not feel the same way. When she couldn't connect to the people around her.

Slowly she got up and started walking towards the shores; she wanted to sit by the sea and listen to nothing more than the sound of the weaves breaking on the sandy beach. Water had always calmed her down, with it's deep blue color.

The stars were shining brightly in the sky and the moon was out when she reached her destination and sank down on her knees, enjoying the coolness of the sand beneath her knees.

"Eric. A word, please?" Horatio asked Eric.

Eric suddenly became tense: what on earth would Horatio want to speak to him about that he couldn't do that in front of Ryan, who he was taking to at the moment, and who was part of their team, too?

"Of course!" Eric replied, following Horatio to a place out of earshot from everyone else who vacated the terrace in front of Joe's club.

"I wanted to talk to you about my niece, Eric. I saw the both of you arriving together this morning."

"I see… Horatio, I can assure you nothing happened between us. She just called me last night, saying she wanted to talk to me about something. So I said I could drive to her place, or she could come over at mine. It became the latter, and she stayed the night."

Eric decided it would be a whole lot safer not to mention to Horatio Caine of all people that he and Yenna had ended up sleeping in the same bed, although nothing had actually happened.

"Eric, you don't have to explain anything. I am barely stating what I saw, not judging you. But I am wondering, Eric, what it is you are feeling for her. Is it friendship, or love? Because every time you look at her, I can tell that you care about her, love her."

"You're right, H. I do love her. It's just… I'm scared she won't feel the same way. And I don't want to risk our friendship by saying that I love her!" Eric said, desperation evident in his voice.

"Eric, there is no other way to find out what she is feeling exactly then asking her. You know that. But I see you looking at each other, with the same look in your eyes. Just don't throw away a chance on something deeper, just to realize that it is to late in the end to change the outcome."

"I know H., I know… But I don't know how to tell her, what to say, or…"

"Just tell her you love her. My guess is she loves you, too."

"Do you really think that she could love me the same way as I love her?" Eric was surprised and exited at the same time by hearing those words come out of Horatio's mouth.

"I do, Eric. I do. And you have my blessings, whatever the future may hold for the both of you." Horatio said.

"Thanks, H. I'm glad you think I'm good enough for her. I really am."

"Now, Eric, I think there is someone sitting on the beach over there who could do with some company…" Horatio said, indicating the small figure barely visible in the darkness of the night.

Walking towards Natalia and Calleigh (who were having a very amused conversation involving Ryan Wolfe, albeit unknown to the poor guy) Horatio could only hope that his little talk would have the effect he was hoping for.

"Hey stranger. What are you doing here, all by yourself?" Eric asked Yenna.

"I was listening to the waves crashing upon the shore, and looking at the stars above. But most of all, I was thinking." She replied, hiding her face from him.

Eric noticed that she wasn't telling him about what she had been thinking. But instead of pushing her, he waited patiently: if she wanted to talk about it, she would do so. If not, he wouldn't force her.

Taking a deep breath, Yenna tried to find the right words to explain what she was thinking about.

"I was thinking about our case: I can't grasp the fact that someone could ever kill the one they love! It just isn't right!"

Eric saw tears glistering in her eyes. He could tell that she was shocked and hurt by the outcome the case had had.

He bend forwards and wiped away the tear that had escaped from the corner of her eye. Instead of pulling back his hand when he was finished, however, he cupped her cheek.

Softly, he uttered the next words:

"When you love someone, you would do everything you could to be with them. When you don't succeed, you become sad, you feel hurt. And twisted minds like Annita go to far. But they get what they deserve for taking away someone's chance to live."

Yenna leaned in to him, and he wrapped his arms around her now shaking form, whispering words of comfort to her.

"Yenna, look at me, please."

She obeyed, locking her eyes on his, tearstains still fresh on her beautiful face.

"Do you thrust me?" Eric asked her.

Yenna thought this was a bit of a strange question. But she nodded non-the-less: beside Horatio there was no other she trusted this much as Eric Delko.

"Good, because I have to tell you something: I love you. And I don't want you to ever doubt that."

Yenna clung to Eric as a lifeline, crying tears of sadness for everything that had happened today, but also tears of joy, because she had been waiting for those words to be spoken by Eric for so long.

"I love you, too, Eric. I love you, too." She whispered. She buried her face in his neck, savoring his masculine scent. She felt like she had finally come home. Feeling safe in the comfort of his strong arms.

Horatio was standing on the pier, looking at Eric and his niece. Alexx was standing next to him, and her arm was licked through his.

"Look at that, Horatio. You sure did a great job. Yenna and Eric will be very happy together, I can tell by just looking at them." She said, giving his hand a small squeeze.

"I know. I'm glad I gave Eric that little push he needed."

"So you should be, dear, so you should be." Looking at her hourglass, Alexx added: "But I should be going now: John and the kids will be wondering were I am. See you tomorrow, H."

"Indeed, Alexx, Indeed."

And while Alexx walked away, Horatio turned his attention back to Yenna and Eric, because he didn't want to think about his own miserable love life.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yenna's back in court this chapter, but this time Eric's there to help her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter ten is up! Please enjoy, and let me know what you think! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.
> 
> Disclaimer: My dreams of being the owner of CSI: Miami have still not come true…

**10**

Eric was sitting in the back of the courtroom, with Jason on his lap, feeling anxious about what was to happen next.

Yenna had been on the stand again today, and she had answered every question Mister Worth had fired at her honestly and to the best of her abilities. Now, however, it was Inis's turn, and Eric wasn't completely sure there wouldn't be any surprises before this day was over.

He watched Heather smile reassuringly, and Yenna answered the smile, although it was evident that she was tired.

Eric of course knew what the reason was: she had been worrying about this hearing for the past week, and on top of that Jason had come down with a rather bad case of the flu. Although he was all better now, she had spend her nights on a mattress beside his bed for four days in a row, in an effort to make him feel a little better, and to be there whenever he needed her.

Their eyes locked while she was walking back to her seat, and he mouthed 'I love you' to her. She nodded, almost invisibly, and sat down.

Although they had been together for almost two months now, they had not been able to spend a lot of quality time together recently: when they had been together for two weeks, Eric had left for Russia, because his grandfather had become very ill. He had spent a good two and a half weeks there. They'd had two days to themselves after that, with Horatio looking after Jason. And the past two weeks they had both been working their asses of at the MDPD, and Yenna had spend all of her spare time with an ill Jason.

Eric had been staying over at her place, helping her to take care of the ill child and making sure she took enough rest whenever she could. He had cooked dinner in the evenings, and had done most of the chopping. But most importantly: he had been there all the way, and had never let her down when she needed him.

He was staring at the judge, who was listening attentively to what Inis was saying in answer to Heather's questions.

"Miss Caine, am I right in assuming you are now in a rehab center, trying to become clean?"

"Not entirely: I signed up for a rapid detox program, to be able to look after my son sooner." Inis replied.

"And you think this rapid detox program is going to be sufficient? You don't think that you will need more help?" Heather asked.

"Yes, madam, I think this program will be sufficient."

"No more questions, your Honor." Heather said.

The judge was about to close the case for the day and schedule a new appointment for another hearing when Worth asked the judge whether he could have Yenna on the stand one last time before he did so.

The judge agreed, and Yenna rose from her seat, hoping for this to be over soon; it was taking its toll on her by this time.

"Very well, Miss Caine. Are you romantically involved with someone at this moment?" Worth asked, something unreadable in his eyes.

"Objection, your Honor!" Heather spoke. "He is asking my client private questions with no relevance to this case at all!"

"Mister Worth, what is the relevance to this case?" the judge asked.

"Miss Caine claims she wants to provide this child with a good, stable home. But when she is romantically involved with someone at this moment, and only has been for a short period of time, that situation is not stable enough to bring a child in to."

"Answer the question, Miss Caine." The judge told her.

"I am romantically involved with someone, yes. And before you ask: we have been involved for almost two months now."

"No further questions, your Honor."

"Very well. I will see everyone here in two weeks, at nine A.M. Approximately one week later, I will have my verdict ready."

Yenna had been expecting everybody to walk towards the wooden doors that led outside, but nobody did. Inis and her lawyer even came standing closer to her, and she had the distinct feeling that something wasn't right here.

Eric stood up from his seat, and made his way over to her, carrying Jason, who was all bouncy and happy because he could be with Yenna again. Because although he had behaved himself very well, Eric knew he had missed Yenna.

"Mummy!" Jason yelled, when they were ten feet away from Yenna. He reached for Yenna, and didn't even bother to look at Inis, who was standing right beside her. He hugged Yenna fiercely, and Eric was touched by the sight.

The judge, both lawyers and Inis, however, were surprised that Jason actually called her mummy.

"Hey munchkin! Have you been a good boy to Eric?"

"Yes, I have!" Jason said, looking at Eric. "But why do you keep calling him Eric? He is just daddy, isn't he? Like in the picture I drew when uncle Horatio was there?"

"O honey… You know that Eric isn't your real daddy, right? I explained that to you already."

"But you aren't my real mummy either, are you? So it doesn't matter that he isn't 'cause I love him like a daddy, and I love you like a mummy!" Jason said.

Yenna was touched by those words, because they meant so much to her: she was now confident that she was doing a good job, and that Jason was happy with her and Eric.

And to her, that was all that mattered.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the verdict is in. Yenna will find out if she's getting permanent custody of her beautiful godson Jason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This al almost the end, my dear readers! The only thing coming after this will be an epilogue. I hope you all enjoy this last chapter, and that you'll let me know what you think about it!
> 
> Disclaimer: at the end of this journey, I still am not the owner of CSI: Miami…

**11**

The court had just entered the room after their fifteen minute break. Yenna was getting increasingly nervous, because today was the day for the judge to voice his verdict. And now she could only hope it would be a good one.

Eric and Jason were both sitting in the back of the courtroom, supporting Yenna, no matter what the verdict would be.

"You all know that, by law, I cannot ask Jason the question with whom he wishes to live." The judge began.

The two lawyers present nodded their heads in agreement, but nobody verbally interrupted the judge.

"But I was, however, a witness to the exchange between Miss Caine, her boyfriend and Jason, in this very courtroom. What I saw here led me to believe that Jason is happy with them. He enjoys both their company, and seems to feel safe and loved when they are around. The fact that Miss Caine and her boyfriend have been dating for only three months, is not an issue; they are adults, and whatever the future holds for them, they'll work through it as adults. Therefore, I declare that Miss Caine now has legal custody over Jason. Case dismissed."

All the while, Yenna had been inwardly cringing when the judge had referred to Eric as 'her boyfriend'. But now, the primary emotion coursing through her body was happiness: after all these months, she had finally won this battle.

Eric smiled; he had a good idea of what was going on inside Yenna's mind. So he grabbed Jason's hand and led him down the flight of stairs leading towards Yenna.

When he had arrived there and Yenna had scooped up Jason, he hugged them both. Before letting go of her, he whispered in her ear:

"You did it, girl, you did it. It's over now…"

she nodded and whispered back:

"I'm glad it is, love, I'm glad it is…"

They let go of each other, and Yenna turned to Heather. She was really grateful for everything she had done for her during these months, and for helping her come out on top.

"Thank you for everything, Heather. You did a wonderful job. I don't know how else I can say how much this means to me… So I'll just say thank you, I guess…" Yenna said.

"Thank you is all I need, Yenna. Really. It was you who never gave up. It was you who fought. Not me. So thank you will do." Heather smiled.

They shook hands, and then hugged one another. When they let go of the other, Heather had only left a few words to say before she left the courtroom.

"You'll make a wonderful mother, Yenna. Don't ever doubt that."

Yenna stared at her back while she was making her way to the doors. And whilst doing so, she whispered:

"I won't ever doubt that, Heather. I won't…"

She grabbed Eric's hand, and Jason's hand. And with the small boy between them they left the building, leaving a very unsatisfied lawyer and a pretty angry Inis behind.

* * *

They got in Eric's car and drove to work: they both thought that this happy ending deserved a party, and tonight seemed like the ideal time to throw one. So they'd be letting their colleagues, no, _friends_ , know that they were expected at Yenna's place tonight, at seven.

Some people were gathered in the cozy living room, and others were standing in the garden.

The heavy scent of roses and grass hung in the air. Candles were standing on the large table at which they would be eating.

Yenna was standing in the door opening, enjoying the cool evens breeze and the chattering of everyone around her. Suddenly, she felt Eric slide his arms around her waist. His soft lips pressed a tender kiss on her neck, and his soft yet strong arm held her close to him.

She leaned into him, and enjoyed being this close to him. She savored his warmth, his masculine scent. She turned to him, and pressed a loving kiss to his lips.

Eric smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair from here forehead, his fingers lowering themselves and lingering on her cheek for a moment.

Jason popped up beside them, and tugged Eric's sleeve. With his big blue eyes he looked into Eric's chocolate brown ones.

"Daddy, why is uncle Horatio sitting there all alone?" Jason asked, obviously worried about his uncle.

"I don't know, big guy. But here's what: you go and ask him why. Maybe he'll tell you." Eric said, knowing that Horatio could not possibly send Jason away without some sort of explanation.

The boy ran away from them, making a beeline for the man who was sitting on a chair all alone, seemingly lost in thoughts.

"Actually that was a very good question: why _is_ H. sitting there all alone?" Eric asked Yenna, not understanding the older man's motive.

"I think he's a little unhappy." Yenna said simply.

"But why? I don't get it…" Eric replied.

"Well, he sees we are happy. And he enjoys us being happy together. But he might be feeling somewhat alone right now, because he doesn't have someone to cook for, someone who will hold him when it all gets to much, nobody to come home to. That makes him a little unhappy."

"I never really thought about that. But I guess you're right. Only, I don't think Jason will be able to do a lot… We should go over there and talk to him!"

"Eric, love, no. Let him be. He'll be alright in the end, I promise. He just needs time, that's all. You'll see. Trust me." Yenna said, squeezing his hand slightly.

"If you say so… But I still think that…"

Yenna pressed a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him.

"Jason's with him. And right now, that's all he needs. Jason has a knack of making Horatio open up. He'll make his uncle realize the very woman he is in love with is not as unreachable as he thinks she is."

Although Eric didn't know who this woman was, and how Jason would accomplish what Yenna saw him capable of, he couldn't do anything but agree because of her confidence in this child. _Their_ child.

* * *

When Jason was halfway across the lawn, he looked back for a second and saw his mum and dad talking to each other. He smiled when he noticed that they were holding hand, because he never wanted to lose either one of them.

He closed the gap that had been left between him and his uncle quickly, and didn't hesitate to make his presence known.

"Uncle H! Uncle H! Can I sit on your lap? Please?" Jason pleaded.

"Of course you can, hop up!" Horatio smiled.

Jason got comfortable, and he just enjoyed having his uncle all to himself. But he was still worried about his uncle, so it didn't take him long to decide he would be getting straight to the point.

Turning around in Horatio's lap, he asked:

"Uncle H, why are you sitting here all alone? Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay! Why wouldn't I be, Jason?" Horatio asked, noticing the concern in Jason's voice.

"Because you're all alone! You never sit all alone!" Jason persisted. He needed to know!

"I don't really want to talk to everyone right now. I feel like talking to one very special person. But I don't think she'll want to talk to me. So I like sitting here better. And beside, you're here to keep me company, right?"

"Well, not for long! I have to go to bed on time, you know!"

Horatio smiled at those words, or maybe because Jason yawned right after he'd spoken them.

"Now, I'll wish you a good night then, I suppose!" Horatio said.

"Okay. See you tomorrow, uncle H!"

Jason started walking towards his parents, who gestured for him to come to them; it was indeed time for bed.

Turning around one last time, he told Horatio:

"Maybe, uncle, you shouldn't be so afraid to go and talk to her. You never know, maybe she wants to talk after all, because she likes you."

Horatio was left wondering where this child had gotten all this wisdom from, and how Jason had deduced that he was, indeed hoping for that one special woman to like him…


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I want to thank you all, my dear readers, for sticking with me through the entire story. It has been an emotional journey, full of ups and downs. But now, this story is complete. I hope you will all let me know what you think one last time.
> 
> Disclaimer: I am not the owner of CSI: Miami, unfortunately…

**Epilogue**

A year had passed since that day in the garden. And, needless to say, things had changed.

Yenna and Eric had moved in together. In Yenna's house, as was to be expected. It was, after all, Jason's safe haven.

Eric woke Jason up every morning, and got him ready for the day, while Yenna prepared breakfast for the three of them. They would eat together, and after that Eric would drive Jason to school.

Eric and Yenna would then get into his car and drive off to work. In the evening, it was Yenna who picked Jason up, because her shift ended earlier then Eric's.

Although both were content to have settled into a routine, Eric had decided that today would be a different day entirely. He had a big surprise for Yenna, and he was really nervous: what if she didn't like it?

Shaking those feelings of insecurity, he finished baking pancakes and got the strawberries and cream out of the fridge.

Looking at the clock on the wall, he noticed that it was now four thirty in the morning. He had about half an hour to finish this up, and then he would wake Yenna up. Because a special question asked for a special moment…

Walking outside, he made his way over to the table at the far end of the garden. He lit the candles that were on top of it and placed the plated and food on it. Then, he put a small, elegant vase in the middle, containing one single red rose.

When he had finished, he walked back inside and mounted the stairs, careful not to wake Jason, who was still sleeping peacefully at this early morning hour.

He sat down gently on the bed beside the one he loved, and whispered in her ear:

"Yenna, love, wake up please…"

"Hu? What's going on? It's to early…" Her voice became an incomprehensible murmur as she turned on her belly to sleep some more.

Eric smiled; he knew how mush she liked to sleep in during the weekend. And how hard is was to get her out of bed on those occasions! But he knew it was all worthwhile.

"No, love, you have to wake up now. Come on, I've got a big surprise for you…"

Yenna slowly opened her eyes, and a smile played at her lips. She lazily sat upright and pressed a soft kiss against his lips.

"What's your surprise then?"

Eric could see she was very mush awake now, and eager to see or hear what his surprise for her was.

"If you get out of bed, I'll take you there!" he said, teasing her.

So she obeyed. He covered her eyes with his hands, and led her all the way down the stairs and the kitchen.

When he had sat her down on a chair, he finally lifted his hands.

Yenna gasped: the sight in front of her was magnificent! She had long since understood that Eric was a very romantic person, but never had she dared to dream of this.

She laced her fingers through his underneath the table for a second, giving his hand a small squeeze of appreciation before starting on their delicious breakfast.

Minutes ticked by in a silence that said more than a thousand words could ever say. The sky turned from black into grey, and gradually became lighter. Until, suddenly, Eric pulled Yenna out of her seat and onto his lap.

She giggled like a schoolgirl, putting her arms around his neck and enjoying the closeness between them. But that was not all that Eric had planned for them.

When the sun peaked over the trees in the distance, he whispered in her ear:

"Can you see that? A new day has come. Full of opportunities, full of chances. Look how beautiful the sunrise is."

She was amazed at the pink, red, orange and blue that were appearing in the sky, now looking at the dawn in a different way then before.

Eric stood up and made Yenna look at him. Kneeling in the grass before her, he took a small box from his pocket and spoke:

"Yenna, I told you this was a new day, full of opportunities, full of chances. And believe me, it is. But it is also a day full of love and romance. So I have only one question for you. Will you marry me?"

Yenna was unable to say something; her throat was constricted by a whole lump of emotions. So she nodded.

For Eric, that nod was all he needed.

"What do you think Horatio and Yelena will think about all of this? Will they be okay with us marrying?" Yenna suddenly asked.

Eric smiled. Yenna had always been the one to think about another's feelings instead of enjoying the moment.

"I'm sure they'll be happy fore it. It was, after all, Horatio who made me come up to you when you sat on the beach by yourself."

Silence fell between them. He could feel Yenna gripping his hand tightly. This was enough for him to realize something was wrong. Out of the blue she said:

"Don't ever leave me, please…"

"Yenna, you know I won't ever do that! What is this all about?"

Eric had never seen her like this: insecure, cared and fragile.

"After what happened to my sister, I lost faith in men. You are the only one I've allowed to get this close to me. I know you're nothing like Peter, but a part of me still fears I might be forced to leave, or I will force you to leave me. I couldn't on without you…"

He pulled her close and stroked her hair, reassuring her and comforting her the best he could.

"I will never leave you, Yenna. I love you too much for that."

Stronger than ever after having had this conversation, they were convinced they could beat any obstacle on their path. As long as they had each other.


End file.
